Android News

Just in case you didn’t know, Google I/O isn’t the only developer conference happening in the Golden State this week. A few hundred miles south in San Diego, Qualcomm is making news at its annual Uplinq dev conference by announcing a new Snapdragon SDK for Android.

The Snapdragon SDK for Android opens up access for some hardware features previously unavailable for Android developers. Targeting Snapdragon S4 processors, these API’s make it possible to incorporate more of the S4′s powers into their apps. Someone who is building a voice memo app could access the surround sound recording to improve audio quality, or someone building an alternative camera app could tap into Qualcomm’s face detection features.

The SDK delivers options for enhanced support for S4 8690 handsets, but other Snapdragon models will be supported over time. It also means that a developer can build for the S4 but still have the app compatible with other platforms; this just enables additional or optimized features on Snapdragon.

Developers can get more info on the Snapdragon SDK by visiting the Qualcomm Developer Network. Here’s a list of some of the other features the SDK makes available.

facial processing, such as blink and smile detection, which makes it easier to take better pictures of people in groups;

burst capture, which leverages zero shutter lag to photograph a stream of images at once to select the best shot;